Universities as Corporate Entities

The reason we all attend university is to gain a further education in a certain field that enables us to be more efficient contributors to society. We come to learn from people more knowledgable than us not only how to do well on a paper or an exam but to think critically and further our own ideas and learning by examining that of others. Universities have always been considered institutions of great learning, but it seems that they are now going toward a greedy capitalistic model of running things. Laurier in particular seems to have adopted this ideal and is making every move to not only further their initiatives but also conceal that they are doing so. The administration seems to present a front of things being 'status quo' and for the nurturing of faculty and students. In reality they take steps each year to cut down costs at great expense to the quality of education students receive and the appropriate compensation the contract faculty receive.

To me this type of corruption is the same that runs our political systems. Since when did someone who paid to have their name on a building also get to decide who sits on the board and makes executive decisions about the universities inner workings. Laurier claims to be at a deficit in order to have reason for the large amount of cuts to staff and faculty over the last few years, but there is much speculation whether they simply say that and then spend money on acquiring property. The university owns pretty much all the student housing buildings on Ezra street. If the school were in an extremely dire financial situation as they claim, then they would not be spending 60 million on buying apartment buildings. Why should Max Bluow, the president of the university be making almost 400, 000$ a year while most staff(being contract workers) be below the average poverty line making 22, 000, AFTER they have completed three degrees and have their doctorate. To me that seems insane, that those people exploiting staff and cutting back on student experience, can sleep at night while they line their pockets and spend the schools money on real estate. Students are leaving university 30, 000 in debt and barely have job prospects...but Laurier doesn't care as long as they are making more money and staying on top of the MacLean's top schools lists.

Have We Really Progressed?

The year of 2016 has been an eye opener for many people who had believed or assumed that as a society we made some progress. This was torn apart mostly by the 2016 presidential election which presented a clear message that someone who represents the opposite of multiculturalism and progressive ideals that North America is supposed to be built on the idea of Freedom and democracy. Increasingly, those in power continue efforts to restrict and control the lives of groups like women, racial and ethnic minorities, and those in vulnerable positions. Trump being elected sends a message everywhere that we don't care about women having equal rights and being able to make their own decisions regarding their reproductive rights,  we don't care about the insane number of people in the black community being shot down on the daily while being unarmed, or about the huge number of immigrants that have grown up in the states but fear them and their families being deported.

What is democracy if its systems are only run by a concentrated groups of rich white males? How is a democracy fair when it is rigged to only benefit those in control?

The media adds to this discourse being spread in our communities because of the normalization of racial class. If a terrorist act is committed by a white American, the news coverage claims this person had a mental illness and disputes theories as to how they were triggered by something else. If a racial minority like a black, or muslim person commits the same crime, they speak of their dangerous nature and how its their "culture" or race. As if they have a separate culture from those living in the same country. Yes faith can determine someone's views and values, but that is often times not the reason a mentally ill person would commit those kinds of crimes. This type of language and rhetoric is what divides people and breeds anger and animosity rather than acceptance. In my opinion, it is this type of division that created a situation where someone like Donald Trump could be deemed as an acceptable president.

American Governments Deafening Silence on DAPL

To start off with a little context:
 The Dakota Access Pipeline has been a situation of much contention in North America as of late. This is a proposition by Dakota Access LLC. to build an 1,172 oil pipeline starting in North Dakota running through South Dakota, Iowa, and ending in Illinois. The project has garnered much controversy based on concerns over its necessity and it's danger to the environment and the fact that it runs through several regions of sacred Native American land where there are burial site locations. Nevertheless it has proceeded, intending to be complete by January 2017. For the last several months there have been protests at the Standing Rock Native American Reservation in North Dakota. Police and local authorities have been blocking the protesters and essentially protecting the interests of the company rather than the safety and history of the people.

             

The question on everyones mind....what is the government doing to step in?

Well as of now, absolutely nothing. With the global warming crisis become more pressing and our necessity to act on it imperative, it is crazy that the Obama administration has so far done nothing to rectify or step in to the situation. They are literally drilling a pipeline into the ancestral grave sites of the indigenous people and they have put the drill pad half a mile from the main water source for the indigenous people. In an interview President Obama tip toed around the issue by saying police and officials need to be tolerant and show restraint. It seems very obvious that in reality he just doesn't want to get involved and damage relationships with large fossil fuel corporations. There has literally been so much citizen media and protest on the current state of things there but the government seems to ignore it even though this could have serious consequences for not only the environment, but the quality of life for those living in proximity to this pipeline. Most indigenous reserves already live in a condition without basic human needs like health care and clean water. Furthermore many of the protesters are seriously injured, one 21 year old woman had a concussion grenade thrown at her, severing her arm almost completely off and she will be fighting to keep her arm for the foreseeable future.

We live in a society where the law applies to everyone except for government officials and billionaire bankers....it seems like if there was a time to step in now would be it, when people are being brutalized simply for trying to protect their own land???

The year of 2016 has been one where I loose a little bit of faith in humanity every time something like this goes undefeated.

Meme Culture

In this fast moving media heavy culture, social media is always promoting and bringing new trends to our attention. We use these apps and communication tools as a way to stay up to date on the newest popular culture. Recently memes have become so popular that people claim that tagging their friends is a form of their main communication. Although they have been around for quite some time they seem to have become increasingly popular lately. Different categories of memes enable us to all find one that we have interest in, and share it with the people around us. 

I feel like people like memes because most of them are funny anecdotes that are similar to real life struggles and conversations we have, and making a meme out of it allows us to smile or laugh a real life situations that maybe distressing to us. Personally I love when I see someone tagged me in something because it means they were thinking of our friendship. It almost seems like a form of social currency we exchange. Similar to likes, shares and comments, we feel a higher sense of self esteem when someone tags us. Kermit inner "me" memes have become so popular, mostly in part that they make light of guilty pleasures or bad habits we all succumb to. They give a sense of online "community" even though they are a very detached way of communicating. Ironically, some times people don't even have any type of conversation, they tag someone simply so that person can see and form an opinion on the same picture. 

Memes have had a huge part in the American election, going along with the fact that social media has had an affect on this election like never before. Many have used them to make light of what is an extremely distressing outcome for many. Memes with VP Joe Biden "pranking" Trump have become so widespread and it's interesting to see how social media in general has encouraged or controlled public opinion. There is a movement online lead by Politician Jill Stein, an independent to call for a recount. This is garnering most of its momentum online, weather or not it is effective is something to consider.

Thoughts on my opinions? What are your thoughts/likes and dislikes of memes? 

Considering Hyperreality in Disney Culture and How it Affects Us

In class we discussed the Culture of Disney and the hyperreality it creates. It is shocking to be exposed to the reality of such a large empire that controls a large part of North American culture.  The interesting thing is that before learning about this during my last few years in the Communication program I to was blind to the hyperreality of Disney and how it enables us as a public to live in a simulated reality. Consumer culture thrives on the idea of living in a world where acquiring certain experiences or possessions puts us in a cultural category. Most people you know probably went to Disney world/land as children, therefore leaving them with fond memories and wanting to take their kids there one day. That is how Disney has built their empire, on the notion that visiting their park is an integral part of family life. The culture of a fantasy world where everything is somewhat of a "show" is something the ordinary population desires, as somewhat of an escape into this hyperreal world where the real issues of everyday life do not exist. Disney has perfected a method of tapping into that desire and creating an entire world that enables people to experience, consume and even live in a simulacra. They have certain methods used to constantly ensure the promotion and consumption of their products, not only through media but through material goods, fast food, and real estate. As we discussed in class Jean Baudrillard studied at length the concept of a simulacra and hyperreality and defines things in levels of numbered "orders". Her understanding of why Disney is so embedded in our culture relates back to the notion that it embodies the epitome of the ideal "American Dream" culture and presents it in a "magical" hyper real way that captivates the culture that Western society conforms to. A happy family that can create memories either using Disney products or spending time in the actual parks is considered to be wholesome and innocent un motivated by anything other than wanting to have a good time. The irony in this is, that everything the Disney Corporation does is extremely premeditated and done in way that consumes those into that lifestyle.
Understanding Disney, a book by Janet Wasko, examines and unpacks the Disney Corporation and it's history. It explains how these ideals and methods of insertion into primary North American Society came to leave the company at the global forefront of entertainment and media. It is interesting to consider how much Disney has been apart of our own life as children and even as adults now. Some questions to consider:

Has your opinion of Disney or understanding of your own experiences with it changed after receiving additional information on the reality of the company?

Do you think it's healthy for our culture and society to be hinged on such an unrealistic and unattainable idea of life presented by Disney?

Do We Really have Autonomy Over our Information in This Digital Age ?

Media and technology have transformed our culture and society immensely over the past couple decades. This paper will explore the relationship between media and Internet, particularly if the affordances it creates for users outweigh the information and control that large-scale corporations gain from this.

The invention of the Internet and Web 2.0 opened up new types of opportunities for users to do just about anything online. Consumerism in particular was one of the things that increased with the agency to shop online. Web 2.0 and Capitalistic corporations make the increase in online shopping possible, enabling users to increase their productivity by using their cellphones to continue the production and consumption cycle any time of the day. By doing this they are using their phone as an extension of themselves. Although the public views this as a way the companies are making their lives easier, it allows those corporations to have more access and control over them. The fact that we give out so much of our information online like banking, taxes, address, Resumes and work history etc, gives not only the government access to our lives but also often takes away our rights without us even knowing. This is because the media and the Internet at large is all owned by the corporations and used as a tool to increase the amount of advertising and media we consume. Society views media and the Internet as a mode to express opinions and interact with peers and create a participatory democracy, but we must consider that us having access to these tools of communication is only in our control to a certain extent. The public only consumes and creates culture by what the media owned by corporations allow.

Corporations like Apple dominate the technology market and consumers agree to essentially give Apple full rights and access to their files and information stored on an Apple device. Applications like ICloud and Apple music are designed to basically sell you your own files and media. If you store your files on ICloud which is essentially storage space that lives on the internet than you have agreed to share those files, enabling Apple to view them and remove whatever they wish. The capacity for sharing and communicating allows people to share and interact in a public sphere online, many of those opinions and information can be coded with bias or simply not be pure but rather put forth by businesses. Some of the most popular and successful blogs and social media personalities are in fact controlled by business interest, in order to stay highly competitive they need to be constantly uploading and have those types of support. Something to consider is if the interests of capitalists indeed pollute our agency and autonomy while using devices like the Internet and our phones? Furthermore if the culture we create online is always clouded by those factors, can it be authentic and truly “user created”.